Previously, many types of tonneau covers and cargo carriers for pick-up trucks have been used in endeavoring to provide an effective means to protect the interior of the truck bed and provide carrying capabilities for long objects.
The prior art listed below did not disclose patents that possess any of the novelty of the instant invention; however the following U.S. patents are considered related:
Patent NumberInventorIssue Date4,057,281GarrettNov. 8, 19776,340,106DuttonJan. 22, 20026,382,698HarrellMay 7, 20026,527,326HendersonMar. 4, 20036,644,704NybergNov. 11, 20036,616,210MasseySep. 9, 20036,851,738Schmeichel et al.Feb. 8, 2005
Garrett in U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,281 teaches a detachable and foldable carrying rack for a pick-up truck that extends over the cab. Posts project upwardly from the bed and have base plates with brackets pivotally connected to the legs permitting the legs to be folded against the framework for storage when the rack is removed from the support pads.
My U.S. Pat. No. 6,644,704 (Nyberg) is for an expandable rack for a truck bed that utilizes folding legs that are connected to an upper frame. The legs allow the upper frame to retract completely within the truck bed compartment so as not to protrude over the edge of the truck sidewalls when not in use. The invention provides an unobstructed truck bed having no portion of the rack except the legs occupying space on the bed floor. A single person may easily convert the rack from a retracted position to a deployed position.
Massey in U.S. Pat. No. 6,616,210 discloses a truck bed cover hingeably attached to a toolbox. A hydraulic cylinder is use to raise and lower the cover with the cylinder shifting position so as not to consume useful space within the bed. When closed the cylinder pulls the cover tightly against the truck body.
Schmeichel et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,851,738 teaches an apparatus for attaching a flexible cover to the cargo box of a pick-up truck. A support frame attaches to the perimeter of the cargo box with a locking member attached to an end plate. The end plate is retained in the fixed stretching position by a locking member.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,883,855 issued to Chverchko et al. discloses a hard cover made of at least two panels hinged together in a removable manner to at least one secured panel permitting easy access to the truck bed with attachment provided that does not require drilling into the bed.
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention is related reference may be made to the remaining cited patents issued to Dutton in U.S. Pat. No. 6,340,106, Harrell in U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,698 and Henderson in U.S. Pat. No. 6,527,326.